Colombo: In a bid to curb the raging dengue epidemic in the country, the Sri Lankan government on Monday announced it would impose a new tax on abandoned lands in the western province as the death toll from dengue rose over 225.

The government plans to charge a two per cent tax on the total value of the abandoned land from its owners in order to curb the spread of the mosquito-borne disease, Chief Minister of the Western Province Isuru Dewapriya said.

According to the Epidemiology Unit of Sri Lanka, to date, 80,732 people had been infected with dengue and approximately 43.22 per cent of dengue cases were reported from the western province, in what is seen as the worst ever dengue outbreak to hit the country.

The government has deployed 400 soldiers and police officers to clear away rotting garbage, stagnant water pools and other potential mosquito-breeding grounds while the navy is engaged in clearing waterways in Colombo.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2017